The Night Before the Exams
Directed by Fausto Brizzi
- comedy
- drama
The story
Rome, 1989. On his last day of high school, Luca gets in trouble when he takes it all out on hated literature teacher Martinelli, only to discover he's going to be heading the examination board for his finals. During a summer of fruitless study, he falls in love with a girl he met once at a party, unaware that she's Martinelli's daughter. The latter, strangely enough, has just offered Luca to prepare with him...
What it’s like
Bright, sun-faded Roman summer: warm yellow light through apartment shutters, dusty streets, and the easy colour of late-1980s clothes and cars. The camera stays close and lively in comedic scenes, with quick cuts and cheerful pop-era needle drops that carry the mood more than any score does. It is a warm, nostalgic comedy with a bittersweet undertow, the feeling of a last carefree season before adult life presses in. Mild in intensity: there is teen crudeness, sexual innuendo and some adolescent scrapes, but no real violence, gore or cruelty, and the emotional stakes stay gentle. The pace is brisk and playful, with the drama surfacing in quieter moments between a young man, his teacher and the summer's romantic complications. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort watch, or anyone who wants a light, funny, affectionate look back at growing up, especially viewers who enjoy Italian comedy and sunny period nostalgia.
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